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Becoming a Self-Manager
Pain Management
Updated Aug 7, 2019
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Pain Management and Concussion Recovery
In the article Everything is Connected, we talked about the interconnections between concussion, physical symptoms (e.g.: pain, poor sleep), emotional factors (e.g.: stress, anxiety, and depression), and situational demands.
One risk factor that can contribute to prolonged symptoms is pain. Body pain, including headaches, can worsen your other symptoms.
Treating pain is an important part of concussion recovery, and pain management should be prioritized.
Key Approaches to Managing Pain
Being a self-manager of your pain often involves getting more active, learning new skills, and may also include navigating the health care system or working with your family doctor to manage your medications.
Getting more active may mean increasing your cardio-vascular exercise, doing injury specific strengthening and stretching exercises, or going to a restorative yoga class.
Learning new skills may involve using relaxation techniques, such as calm breathing, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation techniques (see the “anxiety” article of MyGuide: Concussion for more information on these techniques).
Taking Action!
Suggested Reading
In learning how to treat and manage your pain, it’s best to talk with your family doctor to help you figure out your next steps. MyGuide: Concussion contains an article Navigating the Health Care System, which includes information on getting a referral to a medical specialist or accessing the assistance of a specialized health care professional (e.g., a physiotherapist).
Click on the tile below if you would like to read Navigating the Health Care System.
